


Harry Potter and the Age of Slytherin

by harrythepotter



Series: Cunning and Ambition [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Book 1: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Canon Rewrite, Eventual Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, F/M, M/M, Slytherin Harry, Slytherin Harry Potter, Slytherin Hermione, Slytherin Hermione Granger, Slytherin Ron, Slytherin Ron Weasley, Slytherin!Harry, Slytherin!Hermione - Freeform, Slytherin!Ron
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-05-25
Packaged: 2018-06-10 18:00:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6967474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harrythepotter/pseuds/harrythepotter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry James Potter, the Boy Who Lived, has been Sorted into Slytherin! Who would've thought?</p><p>He and his new Slytherin friends, Ron, Hermione, and Draco, have to figure out who Nicholas Flamel is, why exactly Hagrid has a dragon, and of course keep up with their schoolwork. But there may be just more than one secret brewing in this magical school...</p><p>|Book one of the Cunning and Ambition series|</p><p>|Slytherin!Harry, Slytherin!Ron, and Slytherin!Hermione AU|</p><p>|Eventual Drarry, though probably not in this book|</p>
            </blockquote>





	Harry Potter and the Age of Slytherin

Harry bit down on his lip as he struggled to push his trolley down the hallway of the Hogwarts Express. He was absolutely terrified of what lay ahead, but excited too.  
  
"Hey! You!" someone called, and Harry whipped his head around. "Yeah, you with the glasses. C'mere."  
  
The speaker was a blonde boy his age, who had a smug sort of look on his face as he sat in an empty compartment.  
  
Harry slowly walked over, stopping in the doorway.  
  
"Hey, don't be nervous." the boy said gently. "I just wanted to see if you wanted to sit with me. My other friends, Crabbe and Goyle, went off to go get some sweets."  
  
"Really?" Harry asked, a bit disbelieving. "I wouldn't want to bother you or anything."  
  
The boy actually smiled, and Harry was dazzled for a moment. "You wouldn't be bothering me at all. So...do you want to?"  
  
Harry smiled and nodded, putting his trunk above the seats and sitting across from the boy.  
  
"Thanks." he said, pulling his knees up to his chest. "For letting me sit. I've never had a friend before."  
  
"You're welcome!" the boy replied, looking pleased. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."  
  
"I'm Harry. Harry Potter."  
  
Draco gaped at him. "You're Harry Potter? Merlin! I know all about you! You've...wow. I can't believe it's you."  
  
Harry blushed a bit and rubbed the back of his neck. "It seems everyone here knows more about me than I do. It's a bit embarrassing..."  
  
"No, no! It's fine." Draco quickly said. "I'm just a bit stunned, is all."  
  
Harry was about to tell him to please just treat him normal, but a redheaded boy appeared at the door at that moment.  
  
"Excuse me, could I sit in here?" he asked nervously. "There's no other seats..."  
  
Draco gave the boy a scathing look. "Aren't you a Weasley?"  
  
The tips of the boy's ears turned red. "Yeah, so? You're a Malfoy."  
  
"Guys, stop." Harry said, looking between the two of them. "Draco, be nice."  
  
He then smiled at the redhead and gestured to the seat next to him. The redhead beamed at him and put his trunk above, sitting down and scowling at Draco.  
  
"Come on, Harry, did you have to?" Draco whined, and Ron perked up.  
  
"Harry? You wouldn't be Harry Potter, would you?" he eagerly asked.  
  
"In the flesh." Harry grinned, and Ron looked absolutely delighted.  
  
"I'm Ron Weasley. It's a pleasure." he said. "Could I...maybe you could...could I see the scar?"  
  
Harry nodded and pushed his fringe up, so the famous scar was visible. Both Ron and Draco openly stared, enraptured.  
  
"Wow. Wicked." Ron said quietly, looking away.  
  
"Yeah..." Draco agreed. "So, what house do you want to get in, Harry?"  
  
"House? What is that?" Harry asked, a bit confused.  
  
Draco opened his mouth to explain, but Ron interjected.  
  
"There's four different ones, and you get Sorted into one when you're a first year, like we are." he said. "There's Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. My whole family's been in Gryffindor, so I'll probably be Sorted there."  
  
"My whole family's been in Slytherin." Draco scoffed.  
  
"But that's the evil house." Ron crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. "And that certainly would explain a lot. That's where You-Know-Who was from, after all."  
  
Draco sneered. "Don't be so prejudiced, Weasley. Perhaps You-Know-You was just a bad egg."  
  
"Guys, quit it." Harry interrupted. "All of the Houses sound pretty cool. And maybe Draco's right."  
  
Ron huffed and sat back. "I bet you don't even like Quidditch."  
  
"Quidditch?" Draco perked up. "I like Quidditch. I don't really support a team. I just like the sport."  
  
"I support the Cannons." Ron said proudly.  
  
Then, Ron and Draco launched into a heated conversation about Quidditch, leaving Harry to try and keep up.  
  
He smiled, watching the both of them go back and forth. Maybe Hogwarts wouldn't be so bad after all.  
  
~s~  
  
"Excuse me! Has anyone seen a toad?"  
  
The first years were heading towards the boats, as they had just got off the train, and Harry was walking in between Ron and Draco.  
  
A bushy-haired girl was darting back and forth in the crowd, yelling about a toad.  
  
"If you haven't found it by now, it's probably dead." Draco sneered at her as she ran by them. "Or drowned."  
  
The girl stopped and glared at him.  
  
"Excuse you, but I'm just trying to help." she said in a cold tone. "I could just try a Summoning Spell, but hands-on work is more proficient."  
  
Draco crossed his arms. "And who, exactly, owns that toad? You?  
  
The girl shook her head. "I hate toads, honestly. But the boy, Neville, looked so sad. And he promised to lend me a book I don't have if I found it."  
  
Draco looked her up and down, lips curving into a smirk.  
  
"Doing something to only gain something for yourself? Sounds Slytherin to me, Bushy Hair." he observed.  
  
The girl's lips puckered, like she was sucking on a lemon.  
  
"My name is Hermione." she snapped. "And I'd rather be in Ravenclaw, anyways."  
  
Then she marched off.  
  
Harry stared after her for a minute, then pulled Draco and Ron towards the boats.  
  
"Come on." he said, clambering into an empty one.  
  
Draco and Ron climbed in behind him. Then, there was a slight creaking as Hermione climbed into the boat as well.  
  
"Did you find that toad, then?" Ron asked.  
  
Hermione simply held up a thick book and flashed a smile, then looked over towards the other boats.  
  
The boats all began to move, and Harry peered up at the castle as it came into view. It looked beautiful.  
  
Soon enough, the first years were heading inside, to a small waiting room next to a large hall. A stern-looking woman appeared through the doors, introducing herself as Professor McGonagall, and began speaking about the four Houses.  
  
Harry was daydreaming a bit, only snapping back to attention when the large doors creaked open. The students inside watched the first years as they filed down the middle of the room towards a stool with a hat on top.  
  
A rip near the brim of the hat opened and suddenly began to sing loudly.  
  
"Oh, you may not think I’m pretty,  
But don’t judge on what you see,  
I’ll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.  
You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I’m the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.  
There’s nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can’t see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.  
You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
If you’ve a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You’ll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folk use any means  
To achieve their ends.  
So put me on! Don’t be afraid!  
And don’t get in a flap!  
You’re in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I’m a Thinking Cap!”  
  
The whole hall burst into applause, Harry included. He had no idea that hats could sing.  
  
"Fred, that git, was going on about wrestling a troll." Ron whispered in Harry's ear. "I'll murder him!"  
  
The Sorting began, and Harry watched as the Houses applauded loudly when they got a new member. Then,  
  
"Granger, Hermione!"  
  
Hermione darted up to the stool and jammed the Hat onto her head, bouncing a bit in her seat. The Hat was silent for a moment.  
  
"SLYTHERIN!" it finally decided, and Hermione nearly went white.  
  
She then got off the stool and walked over to the Slytherin table, trying to look brave.  
  
"I knew it." Draco whispered, smirking.  
  
A few names later, "Malfoy, Draco!" was called. The Hat barely touched his head before it yelled, "SLYTHERIN!"  
  
Draco gave Harry a wink and strutted over to the Slytherin table, taking a seat next to Hermione.  
  
Harry shifted anxiously as he waited in line. It was almost his turn, and he was as nervous as hell. Where would he get Sorted.  
  
"Potter, Harry!" McGonagall called.  
  
The whole hall quieted immediately, and the whispers started as Harry walked up to the stool. He blushed bright red, sitting down. The Hat slid over his head, and the whispers were immediately extinguished.  
  
"Hmm." the Hat murmured. "So much to offer, so much to gain. Eager to prove yourself, but nervous that you'll make a mistake. Kind and brave, but a bit michevious as well. You have a destiny to do greatness. I think I know just where to put you..."  
  
"SLYTHERIN!" it called out to the whole hall.  
  
Everyone else was silent and gaping except for the Slytherin table, who was screaming and cheering as Harry walked over and sat down next to Draco.  
  
Draco smiled at Harry and patted him on the back. "You'll do just fine."  
  
Harry nodded and turned his eyes to the end of the line, where Ron waited. When it was finally his turn, he noticed three redheads at the Gryffindor table eagerly taking notice. But, what came out of the Hat's mouth surprised them all.  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
Ron went beet red, and so did his brothers.  
  
"What?!" the eldest one yelled as Ron walked over to the Slytherin table and sat beside Harry. "But he's...we've all been in Gryffindor!"  
  
Ron was shamefaced, gripping the edge of the table tightly.  
  
"He's right." he whimpered. "What'll Mum and Dad say? They'll hate me!"  
  
"So on their heads be it." Draco said firmly. "You belong here. The Hat put you here."  
  
Ron gave him a shy smile. "Thanks, Malfoy."  
  
"Welcome, Weasley."  
  
The food suddenly appeared, and Ron's worry vanished completely as he started to dig in. Harry smiled at him, then smiled at Draco.  
  
At least he had some friends.  
  
And he couldn't wait to start learning magic.


End file.
